A fitness programme along the Isar

At Munich Central Station there are Call a Bike stations on the north side in Arnulfstraße and on the south side of the station in Bayerstraße. You will also find numerous Call a Bike bicycles in the immediate vicinity of the station, independent of the station.

There are 352 bicycle parking spaces in the immediate vicinity of the station.

From Munich Central Station, take Dachauer Straße to Marsstraße. You will find the Pedalhelden bike hire shop on the corner of Lämmerstraße.

Bavaria's most diverse bike and speciality bike rental in the immediate vicinity of the main railway station. Delivery is possible throughout Bavaria and even nationwide. Hire is possible during opening hours or by telephone appointment. Bikes can also be returned outside opening hours.

The route now takes you along Bayerstraße through Goethestraße, Häberlstraße and Kapuzinerstraße to the Isar. Continue to the right along the banks of the Isar, passing the Braunau railway bridge, the sunbathing lawn at the memorial to Mayor Jakob Bauer and through the subway of the Brudermühlbrücke bridge onto the Munich Flaucher.

Thanks to Jakob Bauer's initiative, the former water meadows were developed into a local recreation area from the middle of the 19th century.

There are bathing facilities at Flaucher, including naturist bathing. The Flaucherstandl kiosk at Zentralländstraße 35 offers refreshments and snacks.

The Munich Zoo begins behind the Thalkirchner Brücke bridge, which you pass on the right-hand side of the Schlichtweg.

The Marienklause was built by Martin Achleitner himself in 1866. He built the small chapel from Nagelfluh rock and spruce and birch wood on the steep slope of the banks of the Isar.

The water master Achleitner dedicated it to Our Lady in gratitude for the fact that he had been saved from death several times. It was also intended to protect others from floods and rockfalls on the steep slope.

Where the Isar has been channelled to the west with a weir since 1330, the inflow to the "Auer Mühlbach", the most important industrial watercourse in the area, was also regulated. For this purpose, there was a sluice here, which meant that a natural branch of the Isar continuously delivered its water power to the mill.

The raftsmen feared the "Auer Wehr", as the steep gradient of the Isar below Großhesselohe meant that they were driven extremely quickly towards the hydraulic engineering facility and a dangerous rapids increased the risk of accidents. The raftsmen therefore prayed for the necessary assistance in the Marienklause chapel before this passage.

The Jakobsquelle spring rises below the chapel. It was captured by Achleitner and integrated into the ensemble. On both sides of the spring grotto, niches with devotional pictures and candles adorn the base of the chapel. People often place fresh flowers and lit candles here for devotion.

Cross over to the western bank on the Marienklausensteg footbridge and continue between the Isar defence canal and the wild Isar.

On a section of the Isar works canal, rafts operate as a popular leisure attraction.

Shortly before the Großhesseloher bridge, you cross the Isar canal and cycle up the high bank to the forestry in Georg-Kalb-Straße.

The Waldwirtschaft Wawi beer garden is located on the western high bank of the Isar in the Großhesselohe district of Pullach. The inn, built in the 19th century, is located in the neighbourhood of the Dreifaltigkeitskapelle, built in the 17th century. Both buildings are listed as historical monuments.

As early as 776, there was an estate with livestock on this site, which belonged to Duke Tassilo. Beer has been served here since the 15th century, mainly to pious pilgrims. Around 1800, the "Waldwirtschaft Hesselohe" was extended to include a dance pavilion. In 1852, Großhesselohe was connected to the railway network. As a result, there were now days when up to 10,000 visitors were catered for in the Waldwirtschaft.

It is still a popular place today, especially because of the idyllic beer garden, the good food and the live music on Sundays.

There is always a shady spot in sunny weather. There is a large playground for children. And when it rains, it's cosy and rustic inside. Home-made specialities are served here every day.

Well fortified and with renewed energy, you now cycle southwards along the western high bank of the Isar to Pullach.

In the 15th century, during the plague in Munich, the castle served as a refuge for Albrecht III. At the end of the 15th century, it was extended for the wedding of Albrecht IV by the master craftsman Jörg von Weikertshausen, who laid the foundations for today's structure. However, parts of the castle had to be demolished in the 17th and 18th centuries, as the Isar had undermined these areas. This explains the irregular rectangular shape of the castle today.

Thanks to a high level of civic commitment, the castle has belonged to the Free State of Bavaria since 1976 and houses a branch museum of the State Archaeological Collection. The motto of the exhibition is "Castles in Bavaria". With many hands-on opportunities, it illustrates basic knowledge about the construction of castles in the Middle Ages, especially for children. Weapons, armour and agricultural equipment can also be seen, as was customary in a medieval hunting lodge.

In the former prison dating from 1700, wall drawings made from goat flour have been preserved, which were made by the castle's first inmate, an Italian impostor. He spent around 6 years behind bars here.

The view of the Isar valley from the tower is also well worth seeing.
There is a wheelchair-accessible entrance. And seating and sunbathing areas outside in the castle grounds.

Continue along Zeillerstraße and after about one kilometre you will reach Grünwalder Freizeitpark.

The park is located in the municipality of Grünwald. Before 1933, films from the Emelka film company were shot on the extensive grounds of today's leisure park. An SA riding school then took over the site. From 1950, high-ranking athletes were trained here at the Grünwald Sports School and World Cup football squads were also trained here.

Today, the park is used for recreation. Under old trees, 120,000 square metres of play, sports and leisure facilities invite young and old to keep fit and have a good time.

For a spontaneous visit, there is a swimming pool and sauna facilities, a beach volleyball court, a climbing tower, a fun box with mini pipe and a playground.

The trail continues towards the Hochuferweg. From there you can enjoy a gentle descent into the Isar valley.

On the banks of the Isar there are always some lovely little bathing spots.

After the Flauchersteg bridge, turn eastwards and after a short stretch you will arrive at the "Zum Flaucher" beer garden.

This beer garden is located in the middle of nature, idyllically by the Isar. It serves typical Bavarian food and beers. It is particularly popular because of its regional focus.

Only regional ingredients and seasonal dishes are served here. At the same time, the producers take great care to ensure that the vegetables are organic wherever possible and that the meat comes from animal welfare-orientated husbandry. For example, only straw-fed pigs from the region are used for schnitzel, bratwurst and Leberkäs'. Vegetarian and vegan options are also catered for here.

There is a self-service concept for the restaurant.

Live music is occasionally played on the open-air stage. And speaking of playing: Not only for the little ones, but also for the older children among the adults, a modern play, climbing and romping area has been created in the beer garden. The play equipment is made of natural materials and fits in wonderfully with the natural ambience of the place.

After a wonderful day on the banks of the Isar, spoilt by landscape, culture and culinary delights, you cycle back to Munich Central Station on the same route from the Brudermühlbrücke bridge.